1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a braking device for a railroad vehicle, and such a device, more particularly, includes traction means arranged to apply a braking pad on a braking surface affixed to a wheel of the vehicle.
2. Description of Background and Relevant Information
Devices of the aforementioned type are already known which are more particularly used on railroad freight cars. The braking pad acts by friction on the tire of the wheel to cause the braking. The traction means are generally constituted by a triangular member made of metallic bars and referred to as a brake triangle. This is an isosceles triangle, with its apex in the plane of symmetry of the car and its other two angles in the vicinity of two wheels of the car mounted on the same axle.
The braking force is applied at the apex of the triangle in the aforementioned plane of symmetry, and this force is also distributed between the two pads to apply them to the corresponding tire to cause the braking of the car.
Disk brakes, of the same type as those used in automobiles, are also known and are generally used on the motor coaches or passenger coaches. These brakes have the advantage of providing a very energetic braking, of being quieter and of generating less vibrations than the conventional brakes acting on the tires. However, they are very expensive and function in a total different manner. Therefore, they cannot be adapted to railroad vehicles provided with brake triangles.
Finally, a device is known from the document U.S. Pat. No. 4,008,789. However, this device comprises a complex hinged assembly.